Axing lollipop patrollers, cutting back street cleaning and switching to three-weekly bin collections are all options being considered to save cash as West Dunbartonshire Council faces a £5million funding black hole.
Reducing the number of pupils who qualify for school travel, charging for brown bin collections and cancelling fireworks displays and Christmas lights switch-ons have also been suggested on a list of 47 cuts presented to councillors last week.
Combined they would save £4.3m by 2023/24 - the council faces a projected budget gap of £5.59m, even if proposals to increase council tax by three percent are approved later this year.
Members have blamed a drop in the funding they receive from the Scottish Government for the dire financial state, with local government body Cosla saying that it represents a £371m real-terms cut in funding.
However finance minister Kate Forbes said: “Councils asked for an additional £100m to deal with particular pressures. We have heard them and listened and are going to go further.
“That will allow them to deal with the most pressing issues they face and, at a time when people are understandably worried about the cost of living, I would point out that this increase in funding will be equivalent to a four percent increase in council tax.”
Labour’s David McBride warned that the budget was “austerity on stilts”, adding “we are facing savage savings options that will damage our communities.”
SNP council leader Jonathan McColl meanwhile said he had been lobbying the Scottish Government for more funding and is set to meet finance minister Kate Forbes later this month, adding “I have been making it very clear the impact this funding settlement will have on local services.”
The suggested savings would claw back between £36,000 and £300,000 in each case.
They include:
- Altering grasscutting services from three weekly to monthly, and increasing the number of biodiversity areas to save £182,000 in the first year, and then £700,000 in 2023/24;
- Removing school crossing patrollers to save £190,000 annually;
- Switching to three weekly bin collections, which would save £300,000 in 2022/23 and £500,000 in 2023/24;
- Increasing the distance to qualify for free school transport to two miles for primary pupils and three miles for secondary pupils which would save £300,000 by 2023/24;
- Scrapping free garden maintenance for the elderly and disabled to save £80,000 a year;
- The introduction of parking enforcement measures which would save £100,000 in the first year and £325,000 in 2023/24;
- A change in street cleaning services from fortnightly to monthly which would save £100,000 annually;
- Scrapping the care of gardens scheme, which would save an estimated £429,000 annually;
- Charging for the collection of brown garden waste bins to save £127,000 every year;
- Reducing operating hours at recycling centres, including Dalmoak to save £113,000 each year;
- A review of depots including Elm Road in Dumbarton to cut the duplication of work, saving £70,000 in the first year;
- Charging for electric car chargers, which are currently free to use - raising £5000 in the first year, and £12,000 in the second;
- Cancelling council firework displays and Christmas lights switch-on events, and exploring opportunities for private companies to run the events - saving £36,000 annually.
At a full meeting of WDC last week - where the cuts were tabled - a Labour’s motion calling on the Scottish Government to “properly fund West Dunbartonshire Council” was carried by 11 votes to eight.
It read: “Asking local taxpayers to shoulder the additional burden through increased council tax during the cost of living crisis and at the same time expecting councillors to cut local services is not acceptable to this council.
“Council therefore asks the chief executive to contact the Cabinet Secretary for Finance as a matter of urgency to convey our request for fair funding for West Dunbartonshire.”
Outlining his fears about the impact the budget could have, leader of the Labour group Martin Rooney said: “It’s councils who deliver vital public services; education, social work, older people, addiction and many more.
“We have a cost of living crisis, but the SNP want to put further burdens on us with no plans to help household finances.
“We need to help local residents through the cost of living crisis, not heap more costs on them.
“If we want to be successful during the recovery stage from the public health emergency then councils like West Dunbartonshire should be supported, not have the legs cut from under us.
“We need fairer funding to support and grow our economy. To provide services to our citizens that range from social care and education to waste and housing.
“What do we get?
“Cuts to budgets that mean cuts to services and cuts to our communities.”
However the SNP’s Jonathan McColl hit back, saying: “This SNP administration has been successful for a number of years in moving a no cuts budget and investing in the local area.
“This is reflected in our excellent performance and positive outcome throughout our strategic plan, despite the impact of two years of a pandemic.
“We have been, for some time, lobbying the Scottish Government on all fronts, making it very clear the impact this funding settlement will have on local services.”
Labour’s David McBride said: “This is about fighting for funding for West Dunbartonshire.
“There’s not much more we can say about yet another kick in the teeth for local government from the Scottish Government.
“We have austerity on stilts from this government.
“We are facing savage savings options that will damage our communities.”
